Forgotten Dreams
by Ritsuko-Inu
Summary: What if Sauron had a special orc whose purpose was to find and defend the Ring of Power? This is a little story to answer that question, read and review but no flames please!
1. Prologue

_Author's Note: This is my first attempt at a story here on Please be kind and acknowledge that this is only a prolouge of the story... _

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything LOTR even though I wish I did. Nothing here is mine but my own idea's and original characters, everything else belongs to the author. _

_Prologue_

_"It began with the forging of the great Rings. Three were given to the Elves: Immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven to the Dwarf-lords: Great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine… nine rings were gifted to the race of men… who, above all else, desire power. For within these rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race._

_"But they were all of them deceived. For another ring was made._

_"In the land of Mordor in the fires of Mount Doom the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a Master Ring to control all others. And into this Ring he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life._

_"One Ring to rule them all._

_"One by one the free lands of Middle-earth fell to the power of the Ring._

_"But there were some who resisted._

_"A last Alliance of Men and Elves marched against the armies of Mordor. And on the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle-earth._

_"Victory was near. But the power of the Ring could not be undone. It was in this moment when all hope had faded that Isildur, son of the King, took up his father's sword._

_"Sauron, the enemy of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth, was defeated._

_"The Ring passed to Isildur who had this one chance to destroy evil forever. But the hearts of men are easily corrupted. And the Ring of Power has a will of its own._

_"It betrayed Isildur to his death…"_

And so this story of Middle-earth begins.

LOTR

"No!" screamed the young Ellette as the fresh corpse of King Isildur began to float in the river. It was obvious by the way he had reappeared that he had lost the Ring of Power. She left the battle behind her, not caring that her companions were slaughtering the last of their enemy as she waded out into the river.

Ellette's wide eyes searched the blood red water to no avail and so she dove beneath it, digging her fingers through the soil of the water bed until she had to resurface for air sometime later. She snapped orders to those who remained, telling them to get in the river and search for the Ring. Many leapt from where they stood into the freezing cold of the river and began to search with her. The battle and murder of the King were forgotten in the mad search for the Ring which lasted well into the night.

It wasn't until her own men pulled her from the water that she finally gave up in her search. Ellette sat begrudgingly away from the encampment and warm fires to console herself from the loss of the Ring. She had not dried off and so the river water had frozen where it lay. Ellette was still as she thought over the days happenings.

She knew the ring was not really gone, just lost, and with time she would come across it again. Yet there was a shadow of a doubt in her heart that made her think otherwise and so she let her eyes close and willed her self to sleep.

It was just as she was dozing off that her keen ears picked up a rustle in the forest not far off from her. Her eyes snapped open and instinctively she became very tense. Behind her, her men seemed to have also taken notice to the company close by and were trying to pretend that they hadn't heard it. Many of them moved around to be closer to their weapons.

She nearly reached for her twin blades by her side when she saw a small Elf stumble out of the forest ahead of her. He was an awkward lad of perhaps six years in age with long blond hair and wide, bright eyes of blue. She would have turned to tell the men not to be alarmed but the boy rushed forwards and dropped to his knees before her. He looked not at her but at those behind her, using her as a shield from their sight.

Ellette noticed the bow and sling of arrows he carried over his shoulder and wondered if he had been separated from his family. The child placed a hand on her knee to steady him self as he peered around her and she nearly slapped him away. What stopped her was the knowledge that he hadn't realized she was alive.

Having stayed still, with the water frozen on her, she looked and felt dead.

It was as she wondered how long she would let the child hide that the forest around the camp erupted with Elves.

Arrows flew through the air, claiming many of her men before they could react. Their dying snarls and roars lit up the air as she stared at the small child, now trembling as he knelt before her with bow and arrow in hand. She ignored the battle behind her as the young elf fired a single shot and quickly reloaded.

She had to admire the lad for his stealth and accuracy, she could track the sound of his arrow hitting the target and so far he hadn't missed but once. There came a clag of metal close behind her and one of her own cut down an elf that had been approaching her. The boy misfired as two of her men came round her with their weapons to protect her.

The arrow shot between her men and stuck fast into a tree. Her men turned on the little Elf and swung their weapons at him.

Ellette blinked as blood splattered her face. Her shoulders dropped and she straightened her back while looking down at the young Elf. Silence seemed to close in around her as arrows began raining down around her. The men behind her were all dead, and to either side of her thick blood oozed over silver and gold blades.

Her men were dead. Ellette gasped as arrows pierced through her back. She looked away from the wide-eyed boy to her men, dead on either side of her. In her hands were her twin blades dripping in their blood. Another arrow hit her and she took a step forwards only to fall onto her knees.

A small pair of hands cupped her face and she found her self staring into the young elves eyes. She was unaware of the small crowd that gathered around them or the tears the child cried as she slumped down and ceased to be.

"Come, Legolas, the battle is done."


	2. CH 1 What he Said

Authors Note: So now the story is ready to begin. My first actual chapter. Wonder how this will go. gulps

Domiticus: Quit messing around and type the story already!

My muse is impatient. hits him with a frying pan BE MORE PATIENT!

Domiticus: x.x;

Now what… oh Disclaimer…

Disclaimer- Yeah, still don't own anything or anyone LOTR, please forgive my terrible screw ups and the horrible ooc-ness of characters. I'll do my best to please you.

Chapter One

What He Said

In the great halls of Minas Tirith, before the eyes of the King of Gondor, Legolas sulked. He could tell Aragorn was watching him and tried to smile yet found himself unable to do so and instead, turned away from him to hide a yawn.

"Legolas, have you not been sleeping well?" the king asked, moving to stand beside the elf.

"I have barely slept these past nights. I find myself unable to." Legolas attempted to shrug but felt Aragorn's hand on his shoulder and looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

"What troubles you, Legolas?"

"I've had a recurring nightmare these past weeks. From a time long ago when I was young," Legolas sighed, reaching up to brush his normally impeccable hair out of his eyes.

"Come, tell me of this nightmare. We can share this burden together."

Legolas looked at his companion for a long while, debating whether or not he would tell him. In the end he decided that telling Aragorn might release some of the pent up feelings he had been long harboring since that fateful day.

"I was only a few years old then, and my father was away in the first battle against Sauron. After the defeat my father helped to track down the orcs who had escaped from battle and he was away for a time. I missed him, so much that I ran away to find him, taking only my bow I had just learned to use and a quiver of arrows."

"You ran away from home?" Aragorn's eyes were wide with shock. He had heard many stories of his friend but never though that Legolas would have done something like that.

"I was determined." Legolas seemed embarrassed and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "On my sixth day I stumbled upon a camp of orcs. I was scared; my father had told me stories of orcs and knowing that they would likely kill me I hid myself in the only place possible, behind a stump where a maiden was sitting.

"At first I thought she was dead, her skin was cold to the touch but was smooth as glass. I realized that a thin layer of ice had encased her and felt sure she had died. I was only there a short time before a group of elves ambushed the orcs. They were my father's, I drew my arrows, hoping to help them from my hiding place as I had not any other weapon. My first arrow missed its target but it caught my father's eye and he saw me.

"The battle was a short one; many of the orcs seemed weary and were cut down easily. Two came to where I was hiding; I thought that they had spotted me but when they saw me behind the maiden they were both surprised. They tried to attack me, my father saw them as well as a few others and they fired arrows, but the orcs fell before they reached.

"I was too frightened to move at first, the maiden, who I thought dead, was suddenly standing before me. She killed the two orcs with such speed that I had barely seen her movements. The attack meant for the orcs hit her and she fell. I was overcome with a deep sense of loss that I hadn't felt even when my father had left for war.

"I wanted to comfort her, knowing that she couldn't live with her wounds. So I reached out to her and touched her face. She crumpled and laid with her head on my lap while I cried over her."

"Mellon Nin," Aragorn's hand tightened on his friend's shoulder. He could see the pained expression on his face thought the elf tried to look away from him. "I am sorry to have heard such a sad story from you."

Legolas nodded solemnly. Aragorn's heart went out to his companion, he could tell that the elf was greatly pained to speak of what had happened and wondered what he could say to cheer him up.

"What's this? You both look as if someone has died," Eomer said, entering the hall. Legolas and Aragorn looked up at him in equal surprise, neither expecting him to be there. Eomer and the Riders of Rohan were said to be in the north of their territory, scouting out what orcs were hiding there.

"We were just speaking of the past." Aragorn saw Legolas smile briefly, thanking him for not expanding on the topic more than he had to. "What brings you here?"

"I came to visit my sister but Faramir said that she is out. To occupy my time I thought I would come and greet you Aragorn," Eomer explained, smiling brightly. His smile faded, however, as he looked from Legolas to Aragorn. While the king seemed in warm spirits the elf looked terribly disturbed. "Tell me, has something happened?"

"No, well, not recently. I was reflecting on something which happened to me when I was quite a bit younger."

"Was it a woman?" Eomer asked. Legolas's eyes widened with surprise and Aragorn laughed despite the somber mood of his companion.

"Well, yes. But it wasn't anything you're suspecting. I was only a child and knew nothing about her," Legolas's face seemed to flush red at the thought and he averted his eyes.

"Ah, she must have been very beautiful for you to have kept her with you for so long Legolas," Eomer teased. Aragorn raised an eyebrow at the silence that had overcome Legolas. For a moment he worried that Eomer had gone to far with his questioning but when Legolas looked back to them there was a brightness to his eyes that he had not seem for a long time.

"She was very beautiful. Her hair was the dark color of new earth while her eyes reflected the cool blue of the river. I think she may have even been part elf, but there was a fierce look to her that made me hold my breath when I touched her, and her ears were longer than even those of an orc."

"I have never heard of such a creature. Though, to have caught your interest I suppose she would have had to be most striking." Eomer winked to Aragorn who nodded in return.

"She was." Legolas's voice trailed off and he turned away from them. "I'll be on my way. Eomer, Aragorn, stay well." He didn't wait for either to respond as he swiftly left the room. The dull ache in his chest only added to damped the elf's mood as he trudged through the halls.

"Legolas!" He looked up to see Eowyn coming towards him. "Legolas, I'm looking for…"

"Your brother is in the hall outside the throne room."

"No, I'm not looking for him. I was wondering if you had seen Lord Aragorn." She smiled politely, folding her hands behind her back. Legolas frowned at her though, it was no secret that the woman had feelings for Aragorn, at least, it was no secret to him. He'd caught her gazing at him from a distance many times even after Aragorn had married and she had become engaged to Faramir.

"He is with your brother. Is Faramir here too?"

"He's around here someplace." She started to turn away from him, only pausing when she heard a quiet "Hn" from Legolas. "Is something wrong?"

"You should let Aragorn go. He is married now, and you and Faramir…"

"I don't know what you're trying to insinuate, but I assure you that whatever you have in mind is a complete misconception." She had cut his off quickly, her face turning red as her hands waved in the air. Legolas leaned his head back a little, looking down at her through narrowed eyes.

"Then you shouldn't be so nervous, and you'll understand that any attempt towards Aragorn would be mere folly. He loves Arwen, nothing you could do could change his mind."

"What would you know of it? You've never loved anyone! I've seen you brush of the women who look at you Legolas, at least my heart isn't dead!" She turned from him on her heel and stormed off in a rage leaving Legolas with his eyes wide and surprised.

Eowyn was barely out of the hall when she bumped into her brother on his way back from seeing Aragorn. She tried to shove past him to keep going but he grabbed her arms, seeing the angry tears falling from her eyes.

"Eowyn, what's happened?" He asked, keeping a firm hold on her arms least she try to run off from him.

"It's that Legolas. I met him in the hall and asked for you, he accused me of wanting to see Aragorn instead. He insulted me and insisted that I was still in love with him despite Faramir," she hissed between clenched teeth. Eomer's mouth opened slightly then closed again. That didn't sound like something Legolas would say.

"Sister, are you sure that you didn't misunderstand him?" Eowyn shook her head at her brother's words.

"How could I? He called me heartless and cold," she lied, hoping to make her brother angry enough to go after the elf. Eowyn broke into fake sobs and tricked her brother into pulling her against him. "You know how much I love Faramir, how could anyone think that…"

"There now, don't let it bother you. Legolas is not is the best of moods today. Still, that's no excuse to take it out on you. I will go and speak to him, why don't you go and see Aragorn, he'll be glad to see you." Eomer patted her back and waited while she dried her face of fake tears and slipped off to find Aragorn.

He took a deep breath to steady himself. Unable to understand why Legolas would say such things to his sister, he walked quickly through the halls to find the elf. It wasn't long before he caught sight of him out side by the white tree.

"Legolas!" he called, "I just saw my sister. She told me what you said to her." Eomer was now standing next to him, he pulled the elf's arm so Legolas had to turn and look him in the eye. "I know you're upset, but you shouldn't have said that to her, even if you didn't mean…"

"I meant it. Every word I said I meant." Eomer's eyes widened, he leaned his head back, looking at the dead serious expression on Legolas's face and took a step away from him. He turned away, no longer interested in speaking to the elf. As far as he was concerned, all friendships were off.


	3. CH 2 Breathe

1Author's Note: Okay so second chapter. I lost all my notes so this chapter took a lot longer than it should have to write. Hopefully I put everything I wanted to in it.

Koryu- No, you forgot something.

Ah! What did I forget?

Koryu- Snore

Useless... . ;

Disclaimer: All characters and places and animals and trees and rocks belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. I have no possession other than the movies and one book. Wah! . ;

Chapter Two

Breathe

To many the cool water of the river and the warmth from the sun would have been a blessing. The gentle calls of birds and sounds of the forest would have been like music and the breeze would have been refreshingly welcome. But not to her.

The river's water was freezing and her limbs were numb from trying to bring herself to the surface. It seemed as if she had been struggling for hours but was only a few minutes at most, yet it was enough. She ached yet continued to push herself towards the surface, her lungs screaming out for the air they craved. When she finally broke the surface her sense of safety was short lived as the current tried to pull her back under. She tried to breathe, taking in mouthfuls of the dismaying, frigid water instead of the air she craved.

She kicked, reached for the river's edge and clawed at the water to get there. Her lungs still burned with the need for air while she began to cough through the water. It seemed strange to her that as she fought the water her strength did not drain from her, it seemed to return. Sooner than she expected she was clawing at the dirt and rocks of the river's shore, dragging herself onto it and out of the water.

She coughed hard, expelling the water she had swallowed and breathed in the harsh air she had yearned for in the river. The air she thought would have soothed her burning lungs only singed them and she continued to cough until her throat felt raw. Her hands and knees were scratched from the rough edges if the rocks she had dragged herself over when leaving the river. The pain was terrible, it pounded through her stiff body as if the rocks she had drug herself over had come to life and were bludgeoning her.

Overhead the sun was beating down on her, warming her skin to an unbearable temperature while the shrill sounding birds laughed at her from the trees. The trees shook their limbs angrily through the raging breeze and she shuddered at the thought of them attacking her. The very idea of it brought memories raging through the subconscious of her mind into a piercing light that she shielded her eyes from. The clang of metal against metal, dying cries of men, orcs and of elves, the sight of Sauron falling after Isildur cut the Ring from his very hand all rushed back to her with such force that she screamed out against the burying weight of it all.

She panted, the air was no longer oppressing and the sun was a gentle warm that soothed her skin rather than singed. The scratched on her palms and knees were a faint memory as she listened to the songs of the birds. The colors of the forest were vibrant green and rich brown, the river, she saw as she raised up onto her elbows, looked gentle and was a clear blue that reflected her own eyes.

She moved around until her joints were no longer stiff and she felt sure enough on her feet to stand with her hands hanging loosely at her sides. She looked down at her reflection in the water and leaned her head to one side. The reflection was as it had always been, trapped somewhere between an elf and an orc. She hated the mud color of her hair and the slim, curved shape of her body.

Her figure was not suitable for an orc, and her ears were long, smooth, and pointed. Not rough or even torn as her companions had been. She had pierced them in an attempt to be more like them and the scars scattered about her body helped to ruin the smooth skin she had been cursed with. She had no missing teeth and only her upper and lower canines were pointed. She had to fight her way through the ranks of orcs in order to be accepted by them and only when Lord Sauron had given her the order to guard him had the other orcs finally come to respect her.

She had failed her Lord. She was forced away from him in battle, fighting against the elves to keep them from him as he attacked the human king and slaughtered him. She had never dreamed that the son of the King, a mere human, would defeat her Lord.

Her eyes darted towards the forest as a familiar scent hit her. No, there were two distinct scents, orcs and men. She turned her back on the river and waited for them to come to her, listening as the quick, uneven steps came towards her. Shouts became audible through the dense trees and she snorted, orcs were running from men?

_Cowards,_ she thought as the orcs came running through the trees. The ones closest to her stopped to stare for a moment before they tried to run. She had no patience for cowards, especially those who ran from men. She moved quickly, grabbing one by the back of the neck as he ran and grabbed his chin with her free hand, sliding her other to the back of his head she twisted the head in her hands and broke his neck.

She picked up his broken sword as one slid to a stop and looked back, having heard the neck snap. She ran past him, holding the broken sword in her left hand and swinging it so it cut off his head as she passed. She grabbed his sword with her right hand and continued forwards towards the last three. One turned on her unexpectedly and she dodged low and to the right, coming back up once she was behind him to bury one blade deep into his side and stab the other into his thick neck. Sensing another behind her she pulled both blades out in one swift movement and turned slightly, kicking the orc in the chest to knock him away from her.

She threw one of the two swords after him, spearing him in the center of his face. The last orc continued to run rather than stop to fight her and she threw the second blade at him. Even at a distance of more than thirty feet the sword stuck in his back and ruptured his heart. She watched him fall and then began walking back towards the first she had killed.

Then men came through the forest then, three of them all on horseback. She rose an eyebrow in surprise that they had been able to ride through the dense forest but chose not to comment as they slowly rode towards her, looking from one dead orc to the next.

"You there, what were you doing all the way out here?" one asked, pulling back on the reins to stop his horse when the three men were close enough. They eyed her suspiciously and dismounted.

"Isn't it obvious? I was killing people." She pointed down to one of the orcs she had killed.

"People? Don't you mean orcs?" one of them asked. Her eyes narrowed and she clenched her hands into fists.

"Allow me to demonstrate."

LOTR

Two weeks had passed since Eomer had left Minas Tirith. He had received word that the men he had placed in the forest to hunt down stray orcs had been slaughtered. He had stationed himself, along with fifty men he had handpicked, in the forest to find and kill those who had done so to his men.

He had arrived a week ago, and every time he sent his men out fewer and fewer returned. Now he was down to ten men, including himself, and his men were all thinking the same thing he was, they would have to beat the enemy soon, or retreat and gather reinforcements.

Eomer sat near the back of his tent, leaning over a letter that he was writing to request more men. By his side there were more crumpled letters than he'd like to admit, most were tossed away because the hand writing was too atrocious to read. Eomer couldn't seem to hold his hand steady enough to write a legible sentence. Yet it was not fear that made his shake, it was anger.

His thoughts still dwelt on what his sister had told him, and Legolas's confirmation. He growled and crumpled the letter he had been writing as he thought about it. Heartless and Cold? Eowyn had never been heartless or cold. The elf was definitely out of line, in fact, Legolas should have sailed to the undying lands with the rest of the elves, so why had he stayed?

Perhaps he was jealous of Eowyn's happiness? He frowned deeply as he contemplated the idea. Legolas had never shown any interest in women, ignoring the girls who flirted with him or complemented his skills. Once, during a feast, a woman who had probably drank too much ale approached him at the table and admitted to his face that she fancied him. Eomer snorted, she had been a pretty woman yet the elf had excused himself and not said another word about it.

Well, at least he had been there to tend to the poor heart broken lass. Then again, he was normally around to pick up the girls that Legolas refused. Eomer felt his face turn red with envy and he pushed his chair back from the desk to walk out into the open air.

He was thankful for the cool breeze, and watched the men talk in hushed voices around the small fire for a while before he began to consider asking if he might join them. As it turned out one of his men caught sight of him and waved him over. He walked over and took a seat next to a gloomy looking man who sat with the forest at his back.

Eomer listened to the men speak of what they thought the enemy might be, a monster of some sort, a hundred orcs that were stealthy enough to remain hidden at all times, even a beast of unknown origins. Eomer felt a smile play on his lips when one of the men stood and described a beast his father had told him of.

"It was larger than a troll, with scales so tough that no weapon could pierce through. And the head of a beast with a snout like a dragons!" he described. A few of the others laughed and beckoned him to sit back down, earning a reproachful glare from the man. "Are you calling my father a liar then?" he asked. His face was turning red with a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

"Sit down, no one is calling anyone a liar. Though I must admit that your beast is one I would not enjoy facing." Eomer motioned for the man to sit down, he looked at him for a brief moment then the color drained out of his face and he sat back down.

"What do you think is out there?" he asked. Eomer shrugged slightly, taking a bowl of stew that another offered him.

"To be truthful I don't know. Whatever it is though, I can't wait to see it dead. Be it beast or monster." The conversation ended there for the most part. His men silently agreeing with him. Eomer found that his stomach could not handle much of the stew and so he let it sit on the ground next to him. He was not in the right mood for eating, apparently the other men felt the same. No one had managed to finish a plate of food since the killings had started.

No one could rest easy either, thinking that they may be the next to disappear in the forest. Eomer let a tremble run through him as he envisioned what could be out in the forest. Whatever it was killed quickly and silently, and the worst of it was that whatever it was, left no bodies behind.

The men slowly left the fire one by one, a few of them changed places with the lookouts and others went to their tents for a restless night of sleep. Eomer retired sooner than the gloomy looking man beside him, thinking that he might try to sleep a while.

Eomer snuffed out the candles in his tent and climbed into bed. He stared out into the darkness and wondered why not even the light of the fire seemed to filter through the side of the tent. He reached out and took hold of his sword, feeling uneasy as he lay in the darkness.

He had never slept grasping the hilt of a sword before but the unease that settled around the camp made him feel as though it would be safer to keep the sword as close as possible. Eomer laid in his bed for a long while just mulling things over before his tired body caught up with his mind and he began to slip into unconsciousness.

Thought it was a troubled sleep, in his dream he could hear the crackle of the fire nearly drown out a surprised gasp from a man. Soon after he felt a presence close to him that made him shudder in the darkness. He could feel the sword in his hand but that brought no comfort, only the thought that he would wake and be free from the strange presence could comfort him in the stifling darkness.

The presence weighed upon his mind and forced him into recognition that he had been unwilling to voice for the past days. No orc or beast he knew could move so quietly. He had only ever seen one person who could do it, one person who had that sort of skill.

Eomer's eyes snapped open when he felt a cold blade press against his throat, he could barely make out a shape in the darkness but the eerie presence from his dream lingered in the room still. The shape stood over him, watching him in the darkness that he could not see through, this tall looking slim figure pressed the blade against his throat and he hissed his most secret fear, for only an elf could kill so easily.

"Legolas," Eomer hissed. The figure withdrew suddenly and he sat up to follow after. He forgot his sword as he threw himself into the darkness, tackling the figure and wrestling it to the ground. He felt a blade dig into his arm and threw a blind punch to retaliate, his punch landed but didn't seem to faze the figure as they struggled in the dirt floor of his tent.

He groped around blindly feeling for an arm or wrist to take the blade the figure was cutting him with, he succeeded finally, catching the attacker's wrist and beating it down against the ground until they released the dagger. Eomer winced as a hand wrapped around his neck and began to squeeze, he punched again, grazing the side of their face. He leaned back and released the attacker's wrist to try to pull the hand away from his neck while he reached out to try and find theirs.

Eomer blinked as his hand closed over a soft mound of flesh and the attacker suddenly dug it's nails into his neck. His free hand squeezed the wrist of the hand around his neck while the attacker tried to force his other hand away from whatever it was he had managed to grab hold of.

A sudden light caused Eomer to squeeze his eye's shut tightly and the attacker cursed out loud. He waited a moment before opening his eyes and looking out towards the front of his tent where his men stood, armed and ready for battle. Yet they all looked perplexed and stood in the door way as if they were glued to the spot. Eomer looked down and felt his ears grow warm.

Below him, still trying to claw his throat out, was a woman. He reeled back releasing her as she did he and he stared at her. Dark brown hair and fierce looking blue eyes. Her ears were long, pointed, and pierced with metal cuffs. His eyes traveled lower and he noted that she seemed to be wearing men's clothing, black pants and a red tunic, with a black belt around her waist and a small sheath for the dagger laying a few feet away. She was glaring at him with a look that could have made him shudder if he was not processing what it was he had been holding onto.

"You pig," she hissed at him, her face flushed red and she turned to grab the dagger, only to face several very long, sharp swords. She looked back at him, still glaring as if she expected an apology.

"Who sent you?" Eomer asked, rubbing his neck. He couldn't take his eyes off her as he tried to remember why it was she seemed a little familiar to him.

"Nobody sent me," she snapped back at him. She eyed the men around her and shifted her weight so she was leaning away from them.

"Why did you sneak in here and attack me?"

"I've been attacking you for days now, are you just now wondering why?"

"You?" Eomer couldn't seem to believe her. How could a girl have killed so many of his men?

"You are the leader of this group, yes? Surly you have heard of Isildur's death by now. Tell me, is there any news of the Ring, or aren't you important enough to know of these things?" she asked. It was Eomer's turn to glare, he wasn't sure if she was joking or not.

"Everyone knows the story of Isildur's death. And there had been no news of the Ring since Frodo destroyed it-" He was abruptly cut off as she grabbed the front of his tunic and pulled him close to her. Eomer held his breath, his face mere inches from her's.

"Destroyed? When? What of Lord Sauron?" she asked, her eyes were wide with surprise. He shoved her away and two of his men took hold of her arms, forcing them behind her back to restrain her.

"Yes destroyed, along with Sauron." He watched as she seemed to try to swallow everything he had said. Quite some time had passed since Sauron's fall, how was it that she had not known? He thought for a moment it looked as if she were about to cry and then she suddenly pulled against the men holding onto her.

"I don't believe you! Isildur lost the Ring when we killed him! We searched for hours and were unable to find it! If it weren't for those Elves then we would have-" Eomer couldn't believe what she was saying. If she spoke the truth then she was part of the group that had ambushed Isildur, but that was years ago.

She would have to be an elf. Eomer nearly grinned when his memory can rushing back to him. Legolas had spoken of a girl with brown hair and blue eyes, whose ears were longer than an orcs and had a fierceness about her. He had known her when he was young, and Legolas was very old, though he did not know how old exactly. So this girl could be the girl Legolas spoke of, and if so that meant he had been involved with the orcs who killed Aragorn's ancestor. He wondered how Aragorn would feel when he brought this to his attention.

Eomer had stood by the time he decided to return to Minas Tirith. The girl was still speaking, she seemed outraged by the idea that Sauron had been defeated. He smirked and backhanded her across the face, silencing her at once.

"I've heard enough. Tie her hands and shut her mouth, we'll be heading to Minas Tirith in the morning."


	4. CH 3 The King's Gift

1Author's Note: I realize that a lot of what I'm writing or going to write does not follow the actual line of events that happened but I hope you can enjoy the story anyway, it is just a hypothetical story anyway... and I found my note book! You know what that means? I'm not writing blind! Thought you couldn't tell from ready my story . ;

Neona-Now don't go selling yourself short.

Oh? You think my stories are kinda okay?

Neona-Yes. Now make me dinner!

I guess food must come before writing!

Disclaimer: All things LOTR belong to the author.. Refer to my other Disclaims

Chapter Three

The King's Gift

Aragorn was not sure if he was more curious or relieved. Eomer had sent a letter saying that he and his men were coming to Minas Tirith, and that they had captured the one who had been murdering his men. That was perfectly fine, but what made him curious was that Eomer was bringing the one responsible for the killings to Minas Tirith with them.

The king of Gondor was just glad that he would not have to wonder for much longer, Eomer was to arrive that day. Until then he was going to enjoy some quality time with his queen. Arwen had been spending more time with Legolas than she normally did, using elf magic to help him sleep at night and worrying over him when his eating habits died off. It wasn't that Aragorn wasn't worried for his friend, or even jealous, he was glad that Arwen spent time with Legolas because he wasn't able to.

Every day that Eomer had been gone Eowyn had pouted around so Aragorn had to try to cheer her up. Faramir had left on some journey he didn't want to speak of and it seemed like the only person the woman had to turn to was the poor King. So Aragorn had dealt with a distressed elf, woman, and had to spend more time than he ever would have liked without his wife, and on top of that he had to juggle his royal duties all while Faramir and Eomer were out.

He had laughed with relief when he read that Eomer was returning. The king really needed a bit of a brake. So when Arwen had caught him off guard that morning with a nice shoulder rub he had happily accepted. Now he and his wife were enjoying a little more alone time after handling their normal morning business.

It was not often that Arwen and Aragorn were able to appreciate the beauty of the white tree as it's blooms opened to the sun. It seemed strange to think that only a short while ago the beautiful view around them had been ruined by the dark land of Mordor. But Aragorn had to admit to himself that the most beautiful thing in Minas Tirith was the woman he held in his arms. He felt his heart surge with admiration for her as he leaned in for a much needed kiss, his eyes stayed open to take everything in, her long lashes, the way she blushed against her smooth pale skin, the red haired dwarf in the background, her flowing-

Dwarf?

"Gimli?" Aragorn mumbled, causing Arwen to turn and see what he was talking about. Sure enough the small man began to laugh heartily and opened his arms to gather the two of them in what could have been a back braking embrace, if he had been tall enough to get his arms around their backs well enough.

"Aragorn, Arwen, it has been a long time!" Gimli laughed again and looked back to motion to Faramir. "He told me that our elf was pouting like a little girl. That I had to see myself!"

"Speaking of girls Faramir, you may want to see Eowyn, she has missed you greatly since you left." Aragorn gave him a stern look that made Faramir have to hold his breath to keep from laughing.

"I'm sorry, I asked if she would go with me but she insisted on staying just in case Eomer came back," Faramir said. Aragorn nodded but he wondered why it was that she had stayed if she was going to miss Faramir so.

"Enough, enough, someone tell me where Legolas is!" Gimli cried, wanting to see the pouting elf as soon as possible.

"Faramir!" Eowyn's voice called from inside. Faramir turned to rush inside to his fiancé as the others followed behind. "Faramir I did not expect you back today!" Eowyn threw her arms around Faramir and the two happily embraced.

"If she is this happy to see just you I wonder how she will be when Eomer comes later today." Arwen laughed as Faramir turned to look at her with wide eyes.

"Eomer is to arrive today? It is not due to some misfortune I hope..."

"No, he and his men caught the person responsible for the murders; he's actually bringing them here with him," Aragorn revealed.

"Why would he do that? Was it some sort of beast that he wants to prance about with before he slays it?" Gimli asked.

"Perhaps, though I can't imagine what sort of creature he would want to bring here. I can not wait to see it and at the same time it terrifies me," Eowyn admitted.

"Ah, but with Eomer, Aragorn, and myself here I'm sure that we could handle any beast, should things get out of hand," Faramir assured her.

"I almost hope it does, we dwarves do well in combat against beasts." Gimli puffed out his chest and grinned at Eowyn, who tried to hold back laughter, as he began to strut around the room.

"Now I understand why you really agreed to come Gimli! You hoped to steal Eowyn from me!" Faramir laughed and Gimli snorted, trying to look away as his face flushed red. The small man stumbled over his words as he tried to find a way to deny him, as luck would have it he was saved when Legolas stepped into the room.

"Legolas! The very person I wanted to see!" Gimli shouted.

"Gimli, what brings you here?" Legolas asked as he walked towards the small group.

"You! Faramir said you were feeling a little under the weather. I simply had to see that!"

"Of course." Legolas smiled while giving Faramir a grateful look.

"I think that a feast is in order, to welcome back both Gimli and Eomer to Minas Tirith. Of course we shall have to wait for Eomer to return, with his beast," Aragorn announced. Gimli seemed more intrigued with the feast than the beast now and asked if there would be anything worthwhile to drink.

There would be.

And so the group retired to a rather large sitting room where they could all listen to the short, yet rather amusing story of how it was Faramir had found and brought Gimli back. They then settled in to watch Gimli poke fun at Legolas while Faramir and Aragorn tried to keep things from getting out of hand. It was not quite so surprising when the group's fun was interrupted by an esquire who rushed into the room to announce that Eomer had arrived.

The silence that fell over the group was deafening as they all were both elated yet struck with a sense of unease as they wondered what it was that Eomer had brought with him. The silence ended just as soon as it began however as Eomer entered the room. Soon they were all exchanging greetings, hugging or slapping one another on the back.

Arwen, however, noticed that when Legolas greeted Eomer he did not seem to notice it, or he chose to ignore him. Once the greetings were dealt with Gimli began to hint at their curiosity for what it was that he had brought with him in a very subtle way.

"Eomer where is this beast you brought with you?" he asked quickly, looking around to be sure he had not missed it. Eomer laughed in response and turned slightly towards the door.

"My men are bringing it here, but before the "beast" arrives allow me to explain why it is that I brought it here. After many long hours of interrogation we found that this particular creature is in fact the one who led the orcs which murdered your ancestor Aragorn. I thought that you might want a hand in dealing with the one most directly responsible for Isildur's death." Again the room was silent, but this time the unease was much different. Aragorn could feel the eyes of the others on him yet he was not able to bring himself to comment.

He had thought that all the orcs who had attacked Isildur had been killed, Legolas's father and his group of elves had been the ones to do so, and he had been told many times that none of the orcs lived.

Aragorn snapped back out of his thoughts as the door opened and two of Eomer's men came in half leading, half dragging a person between them. From what he could see it looked human, wearing normal clothes but it's hands were tied behind it's back and there was a bag over it's head. The men pushed the person between them down so that it had to kneel on both knees before Aragorn and then left the room.

Aragorn felt tempted to grab Eomer's sword and lop of the head in the bag without another moment's passing but found that he had the patience to wait until Eomer removed the bag first.

A gasp came from one of the two women but Aragorn did not think to wonder who, the person before him was obviously not a human, but he doubted that she was an elf. The girl glared at him then looked to Eomer and her face darkened still more. Aragorn could only imagine the words that were being held back by the cloth tied around her mouth as a makeshift gag.

"Allow me to introduce Ellette, the woman who ordered Isildur's death," Eomer said, watching the color drain from an already pale Legolas. "If you don't believe me then you can ask her yourself, but I would be careful, she has a rather sharp tongue."

"I thought orcs killed Isildur," Faramir said not looking throughly convinced that Ellette was too dangerous.

"Orcs did kill him, she just gave the order. Of course she claims to have been there when Legolas's father and his elves attacked them, and she hasn't quite explained how she lived through that." Eomer gave a sideways glance back towards Ellette who tried to say something through the cloth that was tied around her mouth.

"She didn't live," Legolas said in a rather shaky voice. "I saw her die."

"If she died then she couldn't be here. You can't come back from the dead can you?" Eowyn asked.

"Well, Gandolf did," Aragorn said breathlessly, trying to work everything out in his mind. He seemed lost in his thoughts as the others continued to debate the idea of weather or not the girl had really been killed and resurrected or if she was just lying about who she was. This girl, Ellette, could have been the one who ordered his ancestors death, but how could this girl possibly have been able to order orcs about, what had made her so fearsome? In order to know what would be done with her he would have to know more about her, if she were lying or not, and why she had been on Sauron's side.

"Everyone out," Aragorn said, braking the conversation instantly. "I want to talk to her alone." No movement came from his friends and he smiled slightly. "I want to hear her story without any interruptions."

"Alright, we can plan out this feast of yours Gimli." Arwen began to heard the unwilling group out of the room, sending Aragorn a slightly worried frown as she ignored the arguments coming from the others. "Now, let's allow Aragorn some time with her. I'm sure that we will hear all about it later."

Aragorn smiled gratefully at his wife before she closed the doors, leaving him alone with Ellette. He knelt before her and cautiously untied the cloth that restricted her speech. Aragorn leaned back and waited, she stared back at him, unmoving.

"Well, is what Eomer told us true?" he asked. Ellette smiled slightly, almost cruelly.

"Untie me, and I'll tell you everything."


	5. CH 4 Her Reason

Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to a dear friend of mine. When the world seems dark fall back on the ones who love you, they'll catch you every time.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. Well, everything LOTR anyway. ...I don't... I belong to the plot bunnies. USE ME AS YOU WILL!

Chapter Four

Her Reason

Aragorn was hesitant to untie her at first, but when she refused to tell him anything unless she was freed he decided that it would be the only way. He cautiously moved around behind her and winced slightly as he saw her hands. The ropes tied around her wrists were so tight that they had restricted most of the blood flow, causing her hands to turn purple. He removed the small dagger he kept at his side and quickly cut through the ropes to free her hands.

She sighed as she brought her hands back around and slowly moved them, trying to ignore the sharp tingling pain as the blood rushed back into her hands. In a short while she was able to move them easily and her eyes lifted to Aragorn, who was standing a few feet from her.

"So what do you want to know, King?" she asked, laying her hands on her legs. She smiled again, but her eyes were narrowed, making her smile look more like a smirk.

"The truth, your reasons for being on Sauron's side, and why you killed Isildur." He crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at her.

"Then what you must first understand is that I was not always as I am now. I'm sure that one such as yourself already knows that an orc is created from an elf. I was only half elf and I choose to become half orc instead." She raised an eyebrow as surprise crossed Aragorn's face.

"Why would you want to become such a creature?" Aragorn asked.

"I will tell you what I told that pig, Eomer, when he... interrogated me," she hissed at him.

"Years ago, before you were even thought of. I belonged to a tribe who lived far from this land, a tribe of wild men and women who were trained as warriors from birth and paid to fight in battles that were not our own. My father was a great warrior who brought a small group of people to this land and settled in the forest. You see, he had heard of the elves who lived here, and he admired them. He wanted his own people to have their kind of power so he brought those who agreed and came to this land.

"Once settled he began to send out parties in search of elves, and it wasn't long before his trackers found them and began snatching a few she-elves away to take back to our village. He tried to mix our blood with theirs but the elves found the settlement and they slaughtered most of the men my father had brought. He escaped with one of the she-elves and fled. She became pregnant soon after and then I was born. My father then killed her, no longer needing her. He raised me for a while, teaching me to fight and telling me of the land where he had come from. It was his wish to return there and show me to his people but before he had the chance we were found by the elves who had killed his people and they murdered him. They were conceited enough to try to bring me with them to their home, but my father had already taught me about them and even though I was very young I already despised them. Though I had no where to go I left traveling from place to place until I began to hear whispers of an evil that was rising up in Mordor and of Lord Sauron who would rule over the world.

"I was seventeen then, and left for Mordor at once. The closer I came the more I heard until I was unable to contain myself with the idea of joining a fight that would enslave those who had killed my father and his people. It wasn't so simple though, rather than enlisting I was captured by terrible creatures that haunted only my worst nightmares. I killed some while trying to escape, more when they tried to subdue me yet I was not strong enough to escape them. Once of them spoke of Lord Sauron and I asked to join them. When they tried to kill me instead I was so furious that I broke free and killed all but a few. They brought me straight to Mordor.

"There, instead of joining them I was tortured for long hours. I could withstand the pain though, and many times I freed myself and fought with the orcs as I came to know them. word of me spread until Lord Sauron himself came to see me. Something about my ability to withstand so much pain, the hatred in my heart and my fighting abilities impressed him. So he said I could join his army.

"I continued to fight with the orcs, killing those who bragged that they were stronger then others, soon I was able to rise through the ranks and found myself again with Lord Sauron. He then said to me that I was to stay at his side during the great battle, and to protect him and his precious ring, as a gift he gave me twin short swords that he told me once belonged to an elf. He then gave me another gift, my own men half. Those who like me were half man and half elf. Tortured until they had become half orc, it wasn't until I saw them that I realized that the elf blood in my veins had changed and I was no longer the half elf I had once been.

"When the time came for battle I and my men stayed close to Lord Sauron. But during the battle we were swept away by elves while Lord Sauron went to kill the king of men. I fought to get back to him but was unable to, and Lord Sauron fell at the hands of Isildur." Ellette's voice quieted and her eyes fell from Aragorn to the floor.

"I and my men retreated and stayed hidden for a time. I sent out scouts and they brought back some orcs who had also escaped soon there were enough of us that I thought we could take the ring back from Isildur. Yet we only managed to kill him and we lost the Ring. We searched for it until my men and the orcs were too tired to search anymore and we retired for the night. I took a seat away from all of them, ashamed that I had once again lost the Ring and not been able to do anything for Lord Sauron. I wanted to find it, to somehow bring him back..."

"Enough," Aragorn snapped. He had listened to her enough. "You joined with Sauron only because of your hatred for elves. And you killed Isildur to retrieve the ring..."

"I hate elves only because they've taken everything I held dear away from me! My father, my people, my men! And yes, I ordered my men and the orcs to kill Isildur, but not to retrieve the ring, I would have taken it from him even if he was alive, I ordered him dead because he killed Lord Sauron!"

"Sauron was a monster because of him countless innocent people had to die..."

"He wasn't a monster! Those creatures that he created, the orcs, they were monsters! But he wasn't he accepted me even though I wasn't his, he gave me a place where I felt at home. The elves... they are the monsters I tried to protect one of their own children and those things killed me."

Aragorn bit his tongue to keep from snapping at her again. Ellette's face was flushed red and tears were welling up in her eyes. She clenched her hands into tight fists and inhaled a deep breath. The King of Gondor felt a sting of pain in his chest as he realized that she was on the verge of crying. The thought occurred to him that the woman standing before him, was no more than a mere child and though she was dangerous, or had once been she was helpless now that the Ring was gone and she had no way and no hope of helping Sauron.

"So what will you do to me now, King?" she asked with a low voice. "Will you kill me as the elves once did? I have no more reason to live now that the Ring has been destroyed and my lord can never rise again."

He moved to take a step towards her but stopped when he saw her tense and she turned slightly, leaning away from him. Aragorn's mind spun with thoughts of what to do. Kill her, imprison her, return her to Eomer to decide her fate? She had killed his men, it only seemed right that he would be the one to punish her. Yet he had handed her over to him and now...

Aragorn frowned deeply and began walking towards her, placing his hand back on the hilt of his sword as he did so.


	6. CH 5 Punishment

1Author's Note: So there is no confusion everything in Italics is memory, Legolas' memory. So don't say you can't tell when he's remembering stuffs and when he's actually doing things!

Disclaimer: LOTR belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. Etc etc...

Chapter Five

Punishment

During a feast one would think that the King would sit at the head of his table, or in the middle of a table placed at the front of a room. However, Aragorn sat in many places, mingled with his people, and sang along with anyone who was drunk enough to brake out into song, (mainly Gimli). Some might say that he was friendly, some would argue that he was just being sociable, others would have said that he was just avoiding Eomer. Which, in fact, was very true. Every time Eomer came near Aragorn saw someone else that he needed to see and managed to escape before the man could get near.

Only when Eowyn called Aragorn over to where she and Faramir were sitting did Eomer finally catch up to him. He managed to sneak up behind him while Eowyn was going on about how wonderful it was to have everyone together.

"Aragorn!" Eomer slapped a hand on his shoulder and held out a mug of ale for the King to drink. "You have been avoiding me. I fear that I may have darkened your mood with the creature I brought you, please forgive me."

"Ah, no." Aragorn raised a hand and smiled. "I was not troubled. I thank you for bringing her to me."

"That...girl...what did you do with her Aragorn?" Eowyn asked. The king tensed under the boring eyes of Eomer and Eowyn.

"I had her locked away, deep in the halls where even light will not find her. There she will stay unless by some grace those who know where she is will set her free again," he answered.

"And who knows where she is?" Eomer asked.

"You, Eowyn, Faramir and I. No other will know of what happened to her. And I mean to put her from my mind and leave her there in the darkness. I doubt she will last long there, she was already weak when I locked her away."

Aragorn turned from them, leaving them all with surprised faces as he headed for the long table at the front of the room where Arwen was waiting for him. Eomer smirked slightly as he thought about what Aragorn had said. He wondered what Legolas would think of his friend if he knew what he had done to the girl. If he knew that he had left the woman to die in the dark, loneliness of a cold cell.

LOTR

Legolas sighed as walked through the halls of Minas Tirith, he had no stomach for a feast, no will to drink and cheer. He passed by countless windows, watching his feet as he stepped in and out of the moonlight and found his mind reeling with memories he had long ago forgotten...

_His breath came in shallow pants as he fought his way through the forest, stumbling blindly through branches that reached for him as he searched for his father. His limbs cried out in anguish with each agonizing step he took. The forest was dark and cold and his heavy lidded eyes could barely see but for the moon shining through the trees overhead-_

Foot steps could be heard a little way off from where he was and he turned to find some solitude. He did not want company, only his memories. Memories that were shrouded in mist and pieced together through his dreams...

_He could hear grunts and the crackle of flames not far off. He pushed himself onwards and headed for the noise, his small hands grasping the trunks off trees as he made his way over roots and towards what he prayed would be safe company. It had been so long since he rested, since he ate or did not fear the darkness closing in on him- _

He turned into another hall and walked through the darkness for a while, continuing on until he reached a hall that had a window at the end, the only source of light there coming from the full view of the moon in the night sky outside.

_His heart pounded in his ears as he breached the forest, finding himself standing in a clearing and staring at a maiden with a group of monsters camping behind her. He ran to her, forgetting his ailments as he crouched down before her to hide himself. He could feel himself trembling with fear and looked up into the maiden's eyes to hope for encouragement- _

He stood before the window, his eyes on the stars of a velvet night and he sighed into the darkness, taking in the beauty of the moon's radiant light.

_Her eyes were hauntingly beautiful, a blue that was so clear he thought he was looking at the river. It seemed forever that he gazed upon her, the rich brown tendrils of hair that fell about her smooth face, her pouting lips that were a soft pink in color, as young roses are before they have matured to red, and her tanned skin that looked so smooth he could not help but lay his hand upon her bare knee- _

Legolas let his hand come to rest on the cold stone of the wall and ran his fingers along it, letting his fingers caress the smooth surface.

_Chills raced through him as he felt her cold skin and thought to himself that she was dead. Only a corpse could be so frozen. Looking closely he could see the light of the moon reflecting off what seemed to be ice that had frozen to her skin, and then the light of the fire flickering behind her, drawing his attention back to the monster's he hid from-_

"Legolas, what are you doing all the way out here? Should you not be with the others at the feast?"

Legolas turned, ripping himself away from the light of the moon and his memories all at once as the silence was broken. He stared at Faramir for a moment, then relaxed and leaned back against the wall.

"Are you not well?" Faramir asked, concern crossing his face as he came closer to where legolas stood.

"I am well. I do not, however, have the will to feast today. Though, you should be there," he said, watching as Faramir approached, he could see that the man was holding a loaf of bread, some meat, and a flask of water.

"I was there for a while, though I grew weary of the noise and thought to rest my ears a little. You should go though, if only for a short while, just to see Gimli and Eomer as the feast is to honor them. They may take it hard if you do not," he said with a smile.

"You're right, but first may I ask what you are doing here, and with that arm load?" Legolas pointed to the food and flask.

"I thought a nice quiet dinner would do me well," he answered quickly, looking away from Legolas. Faramir held his breath, wishing for Legolas to leave. Yet the elf stayed where he was and frowned deeply.

"What is it that you are thinking my friend?" Legolas asked, pushing off from the wall to stand before him.

"I'm sorry, I know that it is was Aragorn wants, and even with all that she has done and the men that she has murdered I can not simply be idle as she wastes away alone in the dark. It isn't right."

"What do you mean?" Legolas asked, not understanding fully, not really wanting to let himself understand.

"The punishment that Aragorn laid down for that girl. He shut her in the dark to let her die there." Faramir searched Legolas' face for some sort of recognition but found none. He had thought that Legolas was only there to stand guard in case the girl somehow escaped. That Aragorn had forgotten to mention that Legolas knew when he had spoken to Eomer at the table.

"Faramir, if you know where she is, take me to her," Legolas said, placing his hand on Faramir's shoulder. "Please."

Faramir spoke not but turned away from Legolas and placed his hand against the wall on his right. He pushed and the wall began to move, part of it opening up like a door and Faramir stepped though without bothering to motion for Legolas to follow, he knew he would.

Faramir took a lighted torch from it's place on the wall and waited as Legolas pushed the stone door closed again least someone happen upon the hall and find the doorway open. He lead the elf down a winding stair and through a long hall. He knew the way, when he and his brother were children they would play games and would take turns hiding and finding one another in the depths of Minas Tirith. If he was right then Aragorn had put her in the room deepest and farthest into the darkened halls.

Legolas could not breathe for the anticipation rising up inside of him, and he was sure that Faramir could tell as his heart was beating so loudly that he though it echoed off the empty walls of the dark halls.

"It is here," Faramir whispered and nodded to a door at the end of the hall. Legolas lifted the metal bar from the catch of the door and he pulled it open. Faramir stepped inside first, holding out the torch to light the small room.

They heard a sharp hiss of pain and watched as a figure in one of the corners of the room raised a hand to their eyes against the intruding light.

"We do not come to harm you," Legolas said, entering the room but staying a fair distance from the girl. "Do not be afraid."

"What do I have to fear from you that does not already await me in this place?" she answered him, slowly lowering her hand.

Legolas felt his breath catch as her fierce eyes locked with his and she glared at him.

"We've only brought you something to eat, and to drink," Faramir said, placing the food and flask down after he laid down a small cloth on the floor.

"I was told that I would wait here and starve until death found me. I was told by your King. Did he change his mind or have you disobeyed him?" she asked, still looking at Legolas.

"I've brought this to you of my own will," Faramir answered, standing and backing away from what he laid out for her.

"I doubt that very much. Has your king no patience for me to die slowly, does he think that he can send me poisoned food and I will eat it carelessly and die quickly for him? I will not eat, you can take that to your king and tell him that his trickery is wasted and I will happily die slowly, if it means that he will suffer through his impatience." She smiled then, as though the thought truly made her happy.

"It is not poisoned," Legolas said. The smile on her face fell and an angry glint in her eye caused him to look away from her.

"Then you must truly be fools to go against your king for a prisoner who deserves to die," she said, turning her eyes to look at Faramir.

"It may be what you deserve, but, I can not hold with that sort of death." He blinked as she stood and walked over to the food, then knelt down and looked back up at him.

"I will eat then, but only if that thing leaves," she said, glaring once more at Legolas. Faramir started to speak but Legolas turned and left the room without a word, heading down the hall. Did she know him? Did she recognize him even after all of the time that had passed? Did she blame him for her death then? Did she hate him for it? He felt his chest tighten with the thoughts and questions that burned within him and thought to himself that he would go an see Aragorn, to find out why he had given her such a terrible punishment.


	7. CH 6 Allegiance

1Author's Note: So it took a while to start updating this story again. I hit a bad case of writers block but I'm okay now and I think I'll be able to muscle out the chapters while I've got a chance. I remind the readers again that I do not want nor will I encourage flames, so if what I write upsets you I point you in the direction of people who care and bid you a not so fond farewell.

Disclaimer: LOTR belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. But the fanfiction belongs to the fans!

Chapter Six

Allegiance

Legolas had waited for Faramir at the end of the hall, together they walked in silence back to where they had entered and silently agreed that neither would tell of what they had done. However, Legolas did not mention that he would be going to see Aragorn, and find out how his normally kind and benevolent friend could give such a cruel punishment to a girl.

Faramir was mulling over what she had said to him. He had told her that Legolas only meant to help but she had laughed rather bitterly and said she did not want help, nor pity from an elf. Apparently, the girl despised the elves, though he had not asked her why.

He sighed and told Legolas that he would be heading to Osgiliath in the morning, to see how the rebuilding of the city was going and that he would not be back for at least three days. He asked that if it would not trouble him, that he take the girl something to eat while he was away.

Legolas told him that it would be no trouble at all, though, he was not sure if she would eat anything he brought for her. Faramir smiled, saying that if she were hungry enough that she would. Legolas doubted that she would accept anything from him though, even if she was starving.

"Take care, my friend," said Faramir as he turned to leave. "I am going to get some sleep before I ride out in the morning."

"Then sleep well." Legolas nodded his head to bid him farewell and the two men parted ways, Faramir heading to his room, and Legolas to find Aragorn.

Faramir was still thinking about the girl when he reached his room. He opened the door slowly, thought knew that there was no one there. Though their marriage was going to come soon Eowyn did not wish to stay with him, taking a room further down the hall.

As he expected his room was empty and dark. He sighed and used his heel to push the door closed behind him as he unbuckled his belt.

The girl had been very quiet after she told him that she hated elves, perhaps she expected that Legolas was listening from outside the door. She did not speak again until he had gathered up the cloth and the flask and turned to leave.

Her voice was soft, and barely audible, as though the silence around them was trying to overcome the noise. He thought to himself that it may have been nothing more than an after thought she said aloud; she may not have even meant for him to hear her but he had.

"All elves but one," he mumbled to himself, wondering who it could be. How it was she hated all elves except one. Faramir shook his head and grasped the hem of his shirt, preparing to pull it over his head when he saw that his door was slightly ajar.

Faramir's shoulders slumped and he dragged his feet as he walked over to it, pushing it shut with one hand. He heard the faint click of the latch as the door shut and he once more reached for the hem of his short before he paused and the color drained from his face.

Had he secured the door when he left the girl's cell? A sharp prick in his back told him no and he began to turn.

"Do not move. I do not wish to slay you."

"You escaped."He had stopped but from the corner of his eye he could see her behind him, holding his sword and pressing the point into his back as a warning.

"You left the door open," she said. "A foolish thing to do."

"So what will you do now? You said that you do not want to kill me, am I to be your hostage so that you can escape from here?"

"I have no desire to escape, there is no where for me to run to. Instead I ask if you would have me, and my services such as they are."

Faramir blinked, he felt the point of the sword leave his back and he slowly turned to face her.

"What?" he asked as though he had not heard her clearly the first time.

"Your king said to me, that I would stay in that horrid place until I die, without light, or drink, or food. And then he said to me, that I would stay there only if I was not freed by one of his own men, or by that pig who brought me here in the first place. And that if I was freed by someone that I was to pledge myself to them."

"So you've come to offer yourself to me? And what will you do If I say no?"

"I will return to that room and wait until someone else comes."

"You would not go to..."

"If you are going to suggest that I would willingly pledge my allegiance to an elf then you are greatly mistaken. I would sooner die. I have no quarrel with serving you. And I would protect you until my death, seeing as you are such a foolish man I think that you would need a guard incase you put yourself in danger."

Faramir could see no lie in her eyes and he thought to himself that she could cause no more harm if she had sworn her allegiance to him. It would be better than a slow and terrible death alone in the dark.

"You swear that you would only do as I ask, that you won't kill unless I tell you?" Faramir asked.

She grasped the sharp edge of his sword in her hand and quickly dragged her palm along side it, cutting her hand open.

"I swear to you, on my blood and my being, I will answer any order from you. Or die."

Faramir grabbed her hand and quickly pulled her over to a basin filled with water.

"You can start by never doing that again. What good will come of you if you cut yourself up?" he snapped at her. She stiffened, staring at him in wide-eyed surprise as he cleaned the wound.

LOTR

Legolas had to wait until morning to speak with Aragorn. When he had finally arrived at the feast he found only servants cleaning away the dishes and left over food. So the elf waited, tossing and turning through a sleepless night in bed until the sun rose. He dressed quickly, still fastening some of the clasps on the front of his tunic while he left his room and sped off to find Aragorn.

He headed straight for the King's throne room, knowing that he would be there, listening to the requests of some of his people. He always was so early in the morning. But there was no group outside of the throne room, and Legolas was a little disheartened, until he heard a clamor of angry voices and entered the room.

"She could betray him! Kill him on a whim! I do not trust her!" Eowyn said, holding Faramir's arm and glaring at Ellette.

"I have sworn on my own blood that I would protect Faramir. I will not turn against him." Ellette shot back at her.

"Eowyn is right, we can not be sure to trust her." Eomer said, clutching the sword at his side as though he thought she would attack at any moment.

"I do not think that she will betray me. She already had many chances to kill me and did not. She could have killed me last night, she could have tried to kill any of us. But instead she did as Aragorn asked her to, and pledged her allegiance to me. Even before that she was alone with me in that cell, she could have killed both Legolas and I but she did not."

"It could be a trick! Please, Aragorn, send her back into the darkness," Eowyn plead.

Aragorn looked around the room at the people waiting for his answer. He stopped only when he saw Legolas near the entrance of the throne room. Their was a strange sort of expression on his face. Almost as if he were quietly asking him to let her go.

"Her punishment was to stay in the dark until someone released her, and that upon her release she would swear her allegiance to whoever it was. She has done so and she is Faramir's responsibility now."

"We will see what quality the allegiance of a monster like that could have," Eomer growled before turning and leaving, roughly brushing past Legolas on his way out. Eowyn looked to be in tears as she ran out after her brother.

Legolas stood in the doorway for a little while longer, watching to two of them leave before he crossed the room over to Faramir and Aragorn. He stopped and stood across from where Ellette was standing. Aragorn and Faramir had already begun to speak to once another but Ellette did not seem to be listening, rather she was staring at him rather oddly, as though she had just laid eyes on him for the first time.


	8. CH 7 Rescue

Author's Note: Good and bad news. Good news- my writers block is gone Bad news- just not for this story. I have, however, managed to learn how to draw something other than stick figures so maybe one day I'll draw some people doing some stuff. Though, admittedly I can't draw worth a paper hat. But it's good to try. Yeah... it's good.

Disclaimer: LOTR belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. But the coffee on my desk is mine.

Chapter Seven

Rescue

Eowyn could not stand to see Faramir and Ellette leave together. He had never invited her to go with him to Osgiliath, never saddled a single horse with intentions of her riding behind him. Jealousy stung her to the core as she watched from a window while Faramir and Ellette rode out to Osgiliath. She couldn't see why Faramir trusted her, why he wanted her at his side. Eowyn turned from the window and quickly rushed down the hall to find her brother.

Eomer understood, he didn't trust Ellette either. Even now, after storming out of the throne room to calm himself before he lost his temper a few hours earlier he was still fuming. She found him pacing about in the room Aragorn had prepared for his stay.

"Brother?" She knocked lightly on his door, alerting him to her presence. He turned, the glare lifting from his face as she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him.

"Eowyn, did Faramir leave already?" he asked. She nodded and sighed as her brother hugged her.

"He and that... that thing left just a little while ago. Eomer, I don't understand. Why would he want such a thing at his side? Am I not enough?" she sobbed.

"Sister, come home with me to Rohan for a while. You should get away from these troubles for a little while. We'll come back here after things have calmed and she has revealed her true self."

"No, I'm going to stay. If I leave I fear that Faramir will only fall deeper under her spell. If she really is a monster then she won't be able to hide herself for long and I will not loose him to her. I'm going to protect Faramir from her evil."

"And who will protect you while you protect him? I will stay with you, Eowyn."

"No, you must go. If you stay she will keep her guard up. She knows that you don't trust her, but I may be able to convince her that I've changed my mind still. I can protect myself. You know that I can."

"I'm afraid for you, but, I'll do as you wish," Eomer gave his sister a gentle squeeze before releasing her and leaving the room, intending to find Aragorn and let him know that he was leaving for Rohan.

Eowyn lingered for a short while, mulling things over in her head. Maybe, if she could learn more about the woman she could manipulate her as easily as she did her own brother. She just needed to find her weakness.

LOTR

Faramir winced as Ellette's arms squeezed around him. She had told him, just before they left that she would walk to Osgiliath. She had no desire to ride, and in fact, couldn't. So he had decided that she would ride with him, and even though she had seemed reluctant to go near his horse she didn't argue. Though, he was beginning to think that it would have been a better idea for her to have gone on foot.

He didn't have a qualm with her riding with him, but she was holding onto him so tightly that he could barely breathe. Faramir managed a sigh of relief when he entered Osgiliath and slowed his horse to a steady walk.

"See? That wasn't so terrible was it?" Faramir asked, pulling the reins slightly to stop outside of the stable. Ellette didn't wait for Faramir to say if it was alright or not to dismount, she simply did and took a few extra steps away from the horse, looking at it with a wary frown.

Faramir held in his laughter, thinking that it would be better not to provoke her. He dismounted and, taking the reins in one hand, walked the horse towards her. He could see her tensing up, her eyes widening as he brought the horse near. He stopped a few paces from her to give her some space.

"I'm going to check on some of the progress, take my horse to the stable and get him settled in. If you need help you can ask the stable hand; he's young but talented." Faramir waited for her to wipe off the look of pure horror that had crossed her face before releasing the reins and turning his back on her to look for the men he needed to speak with.

LOTR

He paced the throne room, the feeling of unease rippling outward from his spine until he had to shudder to relive some of his tension. There had been a storm cloud headed for Osgiliath. Furious and dark; it would turn the city's foundation to rubble if it was not subdued.

He was chilled to his very core, not even breathing hot air into his palms helped. A terrible wind had crossed the field. Stopping at Osgiliath's doors only to force them open. The torrent would whip and whirl until the city was uprooted and hurled into the water if it could not be stilled.

His long, nimble fingers braced his arms and he frowned deeply, knowing Osgiliath faced a tempestuous night. This storm could crush everyone in its path, and he and Faramir had unleashed it. Legolas prayed that they had not been wrong to help Ellette, and that the glimmer of humanity she had shown so many years ago had not been cut down with her.

"Legolas, you are troubled," Arwen said in her sweet, soft voice. Legolas nodded, not to confirm that he was, but to greet her. She hadn't asked him, she knew he was troubled, and with her simply phrase had requested that he would tell her.

"I'm afraid that Ellette may endanger Faramir. I could have misjudged her. I could have let my memory of her blind me to what she really is..." Legolas sighed again, placing a hand over his eyes as he clenched them shut.

"To misjudge someone is not beyond you, but I've never known you to question yourself so. Look deep within your heart, you'll find your doubts will be put to rest." Arwen reached up and placed her hand on his, gently pulling it from over his eyes.

He smiled slightly, wordlessly thanking her as she gave him a reassuring smile. Arwen nodded her head and took a step back from him before she turned and left him. Legolas waited until he was sure she was out of earshot and sighed heavily while falling back against the wall for support.

He wanted so badly to believe that the woman from his dream was everything he had thought she would be. Yet, he had never truly known her, he had only seen her for a few moments. What if she had saved him only because she thought she could trick his father and the others into letting her go free?

With fear nipping at his heels he raced to the stable for his steed. He would ride to Osgiliath, and see for himself if Ellette could be trusted.

LOTR

She couldn't. Her hand trembled as the brush came close to the horse's coat. She held her breath as the horse impatiently pawed at the ground with one hoof and vigorously shook its head from side to side as though to tell her she wasn't to come any nearer.

"Don't be scared. It'll make the horse nervous too," said the stable hand. Ellette nearly dropped the brush as he spoke and spun around to face him.

He was tall and lanky, with messy layered blonde-brown hair and dark hazel eyes. She guessed his age around twelve, and thought that the patched, green and brown tunic he wore over his brown slacks looked too big for him. His old, leather boots even seemed to be too big for him.

"I'm not scared," she snapped, embarrassed that he had seen her shaking in front of a mere horse. "I'm only shaking because I'm cold." It was a lie, not a good lie but the boy seemed to believe her and went on about his business. She took a deep, stabilizing breath and reached out touching the brush against the horse's coat for a moment before pulling it back and looking up at the horses head.

The horse was looking back at her, staring at her with big shining black eyes that glinted with what she suspected was laughter. Well, she wasn't going to stand there and let a horse laugh at her.

She took a step forwards and pressed the brush against the horse's coat.

The horse shivered and shook its head again effectively making Ellette leap backwards and over the stall door a safe distance from the animal. She was almost to busy clutching her fist over her racing heart and vowing never to go that close to a horse again to hear the stable hand laughing at her.

Almost.

"Stifle yourself!" she hissed at him. She was nearing her wits end. It had taken her the better part of an hour just to unsaddle the horse and her nerves were wearing thin.

"Would you like me to finish up there? You've probably got other chores to do and this has already taken you so long." The boy dropped a bale of hay near a stack he had been building on the far side of the stable and began walking towards her.

"I do need to be on my way, and I was told to ask you if I needed any help." She looked down at the brush she still clutched in one hand and then to the boy. He smiled at her and held his hand out for the brush.

"Then you should have asked earlier." He took the brush from her hand and entered the stall. "This won't take too long, but while your out there, if you happen to see some kids running around can you tell one of them to meet me here? I'm supposed to take my little brother home in time for dinner."

"If I see him. What does he look like?" Ellette asked, brushing off her clothes.

"You won't be able to miss him, he looks just like me." The boy said as he began to brush out the horse's coat. Ellette nodded and left, glad to be away from the stable and the horses.

She stopped outside to look around, there were soldiers and workers crawling everywhere, carts were being pulled by mules and atop the walls heavy blocks of stone were being raised from the ground by lifts made of old, worn looking wood and metal. She frowned slightly seeing that they were also at the river's edge.

It would be difficult to find a Faramir amongst the crowd of men, even more difficult to find a group of small children. She decided not to worry about keeping an eye out for the children, she didn't need to think about the stable hands brother unless she happened upon him. Her first priority was to locate Faramir.

She frowned, feeling a little apprehensive at the thought of meeting up with him again. The man was proving to be somewhat troublesome for her. She had made it quite clear that she disliked horses yet he had forced her to ride one, with him, and then ordered her to get his horse settled in while there was a perfectly good stable hand that could have done it easily.

And the boy had the nerve to laugh at her. She felt a twinge of annoyance, she killed men twice that boy's size and orcs that were a tenfold more fearsome. She clenched her hands into fists and stormed off into the crowd.

The voices around her blended into one another, she could barely tell one face from the other. The air was thick with the smell of sweat, the river, animals, and various other odors that made her wrinkle her nose in protest. She opened her mouth, opting to breathe that way and spat on the ground as her mouth filled with a taste almost as awful as the stench of the air. The air tasted as awful as it smelt, but it was better to wrinkle her nose than spit every few steps.

She spotted a stair case and pushed past a few men, hoping to get to higher ground and peer down at the crowd from there, she might be able to spot Faramir more easily that way.

She passed by a few men on the stair, ignoring them when the stopped to watch her pass by and gaped at her appearance. It was easier to blend into the crowd outside where the men were too busy working or going somewhere to notice her. She didn't mind the surprised looks they gave her, or the double takes. She wouldn't have even cared if they stopped and asked her what she was. She was proud to be part orc, it made her strong, and it set her apart.

"Ellette, where have you been?" Faramir called to her. She blinked, surprised to see him standing on the high wall a few feet from where she was exiting the stair.

"The stable," she said rather shortly. He smiled and looked back to the small group of men he had apparently been talking with. The men all gave her a rather interested look that made her glare at them.

"This is the girl I told you about. Ellette, I want you to meet these men," Faramir said. She nodded and walked over to them, eyeing each of them as she approched. There were three men with him. All of them were tall and seemed a little older than Faramir, one was lankier than the other two, and his features reminded her of the stable hand's. Another was broad shouldered and had a short beard that was the same brownish black color of his hair, he was wearing a little armor and his smokey blue eyes had the look of a man who had fought in one to many battles. The last of the three men was more clean cut than the others and wore finer clothes, his hair was flaxen blonde and his eyes were deep forest green. She wondered to himself if he worked for the king.

"She's hardly a girl, she's filthy and she's wearing men's clothing," said the flaxen haired man with a snide frown. His eyes lingered on her for a few moments before he looked away. She heard her knuckled crack as she squeezed her fists and released them, calming herself. She hadn't ever worn women's clothing. A skirt was much to restricting in a battle.

"Ah, they suit her just fine. Faramir told me that you can fight, what weaponry have you mastered eh?" asked the bearded man.

"I fight with many weapons, but I prefer short swords or daggers. Though I can use a bow and arrow as well." She glanced to Faramir, wondering what he was up to.

"You're no stranger to a hard days work then? I'm sure I can find you plenty to do around here to keep you out of trouble," said the lanky man.

Ellette frowned deeply as Faramir began talking with the three men again. She had a bad feeling that he was about to give her to someone else to worry about. She looked away, back down at the crowd and chewed her lower lip. Well, at least she wouldn't have to deal with his horse anymore.

As she mulled the thought over in her head, enjoying it thoroughly, she spotted a pair of children playing on a pile of discarded wood and stone. She was able to pick out the stable hand's brother easily enough, he looked like a younger version of him down to the over sized tunic and boots. She noted that they were playing under one of the lifts that was loaded down with tools and stone and narrowed her eyes.

Faramir said something to her that she ignored, looking intently at the ropes that were holding the lift in place, it all connected to a pair of old pulleys, one of which seemed to be strained. She stepped closer to the edge of the wall and placed her hands on the ledge, watching as the men on the wall opposite her began to load more onto the lift.

Wordlessly, effortlessly she shifted her weight and hoisted herself up and over the wall's ledge. She landed on the ground in a crouching position, feeling pain shoot up from one of her ankles. The pain was nothing, she thought to herself and ran forwards, dodging past men and carts as her keen ears heard the pulley snapping before anyone else did.

The children were a good thirty feet from her when the pulley snapped and the ropes holding the lift were released. Someone yelled something, a woman screamed and the sound of the stone and tools crashing into the pile where the children were playing rang in her ears.

She hit the ground with a loud "umph" and cringed as she felt rubble rake at her side and arms through the tunic that Faramir had lent her to wear. She was still for a few moments, listening to the noise die down until the once bustling crowd was muted and still.

There was stone dust in her eyes and it took a few blinks for her to see clearly, she looked down at the two children she was grasping in her arms and sighed as they looked back at her with wide, surprised eyes.

She released them both slowly, looking at them carefully to be sure that they hadn't been hurt. The little boy she recognized as the stable hands younger brother was snatched up by a large woman who started fussing over him, crying, and spouting thanks all at once. The other child, ran towards a woman who was pushing her way through the crowd calling the child's name.

Seeing that the two children seemed fine she turned her attention to her own injuries, paying no mind to the crowd that was gathering in close around her. She was still resting on her side, having moved just slightly to let the children go. She rolled onto her stomach, putting one arm under her to push herself up with.

She barely noticed a gasp and some excited yells for help when she climbed to her feet. She let the arm she had landed on hang at her side, there was a gash on the upper part of her arm and blood was soaking into her sleeve as well as streaming down her arm to drip off her finger tips. She tried to take a step and winced as the ankle she had landed throbbed in pain.

Her knees gave out and she fell forwards against a man's hard chest. Her head swam as her eyes blurred, she couldn't make out the man's face. She felt her arm and ankle throb again and her stomach twisted as the pain hit her full force. She though she felt a prickling sensation in her back before she fainted.


End file.
